Mercy's Manitta Named Manhattan Head Coach

RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Steve Manitta has been named
head coach of the Manhattan College men's lacrosse program. Manitta
comes to Riverdale after three years as head men's lacrosse
coach/assistant athletic director at Mercy College.

"Coach Manitta impressed me as a 'can-do' coach with an
excellent record of rapidly improving programs he takes over,"
Manhattan Athletic Director Bob Byrnes said. "He is extremely
positive and enjoys an excellent reputation among other lacrosse
coaches, which is invaluable in recruiting student-athletes to
Manhattan. I feel fortunate to have Steve join us and know his
impact will be very positive with the players."

Manitta was hired as the first head coach of Mercy's fledgling
men's lacrosse program in 2009. The team began play in 2010 and
posted a 5-10 record in the competitive East Coast Conference (ECC)
during its inaugural season. In 2011, he was named ECC Coach of the
Year after leading the Mavericks to an 11-3 mark. Mercy was
nationally ranked in 10 of 12 weeks that season, peaking at No. 7,
and the six-win improvement represented the biggest jump of any
program in NCAA Division II. In addition, Mercy led Division II in
man-down defense in 2011, allowing just seven goals in 68 man-down
situations (10.3 percent).

Among the 80-plus players Manitta recruited during his time at
Mercy was goalkeeper T.J. DiCarlo, who was the USILA Division II
Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-American in 2011.

"I want to thank Mr. Byrnes for allowing me this opportunity,"
Manitta said. "We had a few very positive conversations about the
direction of Manhattan College and the MAAC. I'm absolutely
thrilled to be a Jasper and excited to get started. Right things
happen when the time is right."

Prior to his arrival at Mercy, Manitta was the head coach at
Chatham High School in Chatham, N.J., from 2001-09. He compiled a
115-47 record at Chatham and developed five All-American players,
including the 2008 NJSIAA Player of the Year. Manitta guided the
Cougars to a pair of conference titles in 2007-08, as well as
consecutive appearances in the Morris County Tournament semifinals.
His 2002 squad reached the state quarterfinals for the first time
school history.

Manitta began his coaching career at Roxbury High School in
Succasunna, N.J., where he established the lacrosse program in
1993. He guided the program to the state tournament in just its
third year of existence and mentored eight all-conference players,
including five all-state selections, in seven seasons.

"I think that starting two programs from the ground-up and
having success right away is beneficial," Manitta said. "The MAAC
is a very competitive conference, and Manhattan is outstanding
academically, as well."

Manitta is just the third head coach in the history of the
Manhattan men's lacrosse program, which began play in 1996.

He and his wife, Kim, reside in Chatham, N.J., with their two
sons, Teddy and Colin.

Original story 07.01.2012 at 8.01 p.m.

Steve Manitta, the head coach of the Division II Mercy men's
lacrosse team, will be formally announced as the new head coach at
Division I Manhattan College on Monday, Manhattan athletic director
Bob Byrnes confirmed to Lacrosse Magazine on Sunday night.

Manitta notified his players at Mercy about the news beginning
on Friday and he has been in contact with current Manhattan players
about taking the job.

In October 2008, Manitta was tabbed as the first coach at Mercy,
located in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., and the program began competition in
2009-10 in the East Coast Conference. Manhattan College is located
in the Bronx, N.Y., about 11 miles south of Mercy.

Mercy went 22-20 over Manitta's three seasons, going 5-10 in the
program's inaugural season, 11-3 in 2011 and 6-7 this year.

Prior to Mercy, Manitta served as the head boys lacrosse coach
at Chatham High (N.J.) from 2001-08 and left as the winningest
coach in program history with a 115-47 record.

In his first season, Chatham was ranked in the state for the
first time ever. In his second season, Manitta was named the state
coach of the year by the Star Ledger and Daily Record after leading
Chatham to the quarterfinals of the New Jersey state
championships.

From 1993-2000 he was the head coach of Roxbury (N.J.) High and
brought the team to the New Jersey state tournament in his third
season.

A native of Fulton, N.Y., Manitta played at SUNY Morrisville,
earning all-region honors as a midfielder in 1989. He later earned
a bachelor's degree in business management from Nyack College.

Manitta replaces Tim McIntee, whom Manhattan said would not return after the season.
Manhattan finished the 2012 campaign with a 5-9 overall record and
went 1-5 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

Manitta's hire at Manhattan fills the last coaching vacancy in
the Division I men's ranks for programs already competing.
Monmouth, which begins varsity play in the spring of 2014, is still
seeking a head coach. Scranton's Jim Rogalski was named head coach at
Lafayette on Friday. Providence tabbed Duke assistant
Chris Gabrielli on June 15.